Sunday 1 May 2016

Film: The Midnight Orchestra (L' Orchestre de Minuit)

Ah, that film list.. never more problematic than when shorts are showing. See, I need to check the IMDB ratings of every film showing in town - well, the ones that I might be interested in seeing. And when shorts are showing.. so instead of one title, you might have seven, say.. Oy ve!

It's happened to me before that, by the time the list is done, I've missed whatever was on top of it! Well, at least that didn't happen today - but, ironically, for all those shorts, none of those at the top of the list were showing today. Or, indeed, on any day I could manage. So off they came. Which left a film called The Midnight Orchestra (L' Orchestre de Minuit), about a Moroccan Jew who fled the country because of anti-Jewish feeling following the Yom Kippur war, and returns, years later, as a successful musician when his father asks him. His father duly dies, and the son has the job of burying him - Gad Elmaleh pops up as one of the local rabbis, advising him. I didn't actually know it before, but he's Moroccan himself - I did know the name though; he has a son with Charlotte Casiraghi, the elder daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco. The title refers to the band that the dead man used to lead, which one of the former members - now hospitalised in a mental institution - hallucinates, calling it "The Midnight Orchestra". So, in short, the son decides to recreate this orchestra in honour of his father.

It was all the way up in JW3 - I've never been before, but it turns out to be on Finchley Road, just up from where I was on Friday. Luckily, they had two showings - by the time I was done with this list, I'd just have had time to scurry out the door if I'd gone to the early showing, and I hadn't eaten yet! So I decided to go to the later showing - the early one was mostly booked out when I looked, so I decided I'd better book.

I planned to go by Overground to Finchley Road & Frognal, practically next door to the venue (the cheaper, but slightly longer, option) and return by Jubilee line from Finchley Road (slightly further away) and train, anticipating a late finish - the Overground doesn't run as late as the Tube. Funnily enough, it happened exactly the opposite way - Google Maps predicted I'd get a train from Clapham Junction at 7:31, but when I got there - at 7:24 - the next scheduled Overground was at 7:46! So I took Plan B - train to Waterloo, and Jubilee Line. The film turned out not to be accompanied by any trailers, or ads at all, apart from one for the centre, so ended promptly, and I got the Overground back!

I was in good time. JW3 is a Jewish cultural centre, and I was somewhat taken aback to find a security bag check at the gate. Well hey, if they have to, I guess.. Inside, there was a library, and once I'd picked up my ticket, I headed downstairs to the cinema. There was also a café, but as I say, I'd just eaten, and wasn't too early to head in. I'd booked myself a central seat - as it happened, I was one of three in that row, with everyone else further back..

This is a very French film. It's very stylish, and the leading man is an absolute delight to look at. Suave, sophisticated, sensitive - the epitome of a French leading man. All he needed was a woman to swoon over him - well, at least that didn't happen. However, that was as good as the film got for me - I do have a couple of problems with French cinema, both of which cropped up here.

Firstly, the damn thing was too introspective. I'm all for a bit of introspection, but for goodness' sake, we knew why he was there, we'd had the tearful shots as he came to terms with his father's death and the realities of his life. Did they have to labour he point? They could easily have chopped off half an hour. Secondly, oh gawd I just don't get French comedy. This is obviously not an opinion shared by everyone - the people behind me, in particular, were falling over themselves for most of the film, snorting away merrily in hilarity. I do hate being in an audience that gets the joke when I don't. Sorry, but I don't find it at all funny to have a suave, sophisticated leading man playing deadpan to a manic, taxi-driving sidekick for the duration, whom he initially dismisses but finally comes to respect as his friend. Yawn. Seen that one before.

But as I say, it was stylish, and that feller is real eye-candy.

Afterwards, the main door was already locked, and a friendly doorperson let us out - individually. There was still a guard on the gate, too. No hanging around here, after hours.. I was decently in time for both the train from down the road, and the one I had to change to in Willesden Junction; just as well, because it was quite chilly.

Tomorrow, as I say, is London Dramatic Arts Meetup, for the rescheduled trip to see Dr. Faustus, at the Duke of York's Theatre. And the organiser was in touch today, to say we'd grab some food and/or drinks beforehand, in Brown's. Which will make a nice change to my routine!

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